


Abandon All Hope

by gaslight_skellington



Category: From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-05
Updated: 2016-11-05
Packaged: 2018-08-29 06:42:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,100
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8479201
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gaslight_skellington/pseuds/gaslight_skellington
Summary: Xibalba did not match the image in her head, and for the first time since she'd decided that this was how she would atone for her sins, she felt fear. Stark, bone deep fear that had her looking around the barren wasteland for any sign of life. The silence was heavy and oppressive, as if Xibalba had taken a deep breath on her entry and hadn't released it yet. She was expecting it to come washing over her any minute now, her judgement and punishment.





	

The world beyond the gate was tinted red.

She's not sure why she hadn't expect that – she had stepped directly into hell, after all, and she'd been listening to sermons all her life about the fiery pit - what other colour could it possibly be?

Still, the colour of her new world was unnerving and she shivered slightly as she realised what else was bothering her; she couldn't hear anything – hell was utterly still and silent.

“Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.” She muttered to herself.

How could a place filled with the souls of the damned be so fucking quiet? Where were the screams and the begging for mercy? Where were all the demons, feeding on the misery and fear?

Sure, she understood that Xibalba was not the Christian version of hell she'd been hearing about since she was a little girl - there was no beastly monster with horns and a forked tail, watching over the torture and torment. __Xibalba was older than that version of hell but she'd expected a few similarities at least.

Kate had always had a picture of hell in her head; she didn't think of it often because up until she had met the Geckos and become embroiled in this whole supernatural mess, she had always thought of herself as a good person who would never have to worry about the devil or eternal damnation.

Xibalba did not match the image in her head and for the first time since she'd decided that _this_ was how she would atone for her sins, she felt fear. Stark, bone deep fear that had her looking around the barren wasteland for any sign of life. The silence was heavy and oppressive, as if Xibalba had taken a deep breath on her entry and hadn't released it yet. She was expecting it to come washing over her any minute now, her judgement and punishment.

She deserved this, she knew she did. She deserved it for killing her daddy and for helping Scott bury the little girl she'd played tea parties with. The best friend she'd gone shopping with to buy their first bras - matching cotton with a pretty pattern of birds that had made her and Jessica giggle as they paid. The best friend who had stayed over countless times; who had helped Kate plan her wedding at the ripe old age of nine. There wasn't a day that went by that she didn't see Jessica in her head.

She deserved it for killing that innocent drifter, all to help her monster of a brother's boss – the one who'd eventually repay her by putting two bullets through her body.

She deserved it for killing Santanico's girlfriend; she had thought she hated the snake queen, because she blamed her for everything. She blamed her for manipulating Richie and leading him to Mexico, and for getting them all caught up in the world of culebras and santa sangre and Amaru and she blamed her for her father being dead and her brother being a vampire. 

But as she'd stood in that warehouse, watching through Amaru's cold, hateful eyes, she'd seen how desperate Santanico had been to save her girlfriend and she'd realised that Santanico - _Kisa-_ had been a victim once too. And now, when she had finally escaped her chains and was trying to live her life away from the darkness, she'd fallen in love with an ordinary girl and was doing everything in her power to protect her; and Kate had realised that even culebra queens deserved to be happy. After everything she'd been through, Santanico had been hurt and desperate for release from her centuries long enslavement and how could Kate judge her for that? 

So she had beat against the door of her mental prison, begging and screaming at Amaru not to hurt the young, brave girl as she watched Santanico beg for her life; beg using  _Kate's_ name. She had felt the fear and horror rush through Manola when she realised what was happening and she'd sobbed as Amaru taunted her inside her head; reminding her that this was who she was now and this is what she would be doing to millions of souls, including her brother's when she could find him.  _This is your new reality, Katie-cakes._

Santanico's forgiveness had been a balm she hadn't been expecting and hadn't realised she would appreciate so much. The vengeful, powerful snake queen had looked at her with compassion and assured her that it had been Amaru who destroyed the love of her life, not Kate. 

But as much as Santanico's forgiveness had helped, she knew deserved to be here for what she did to Richard; for allowing Amaru to see how she felt about the younger Gecko in a moment of weakness when she'd seen him at the warehouse. 

The queen of hell had laughed inside Kate's head, when she saw the way her feelings for Richie confused and angered her, love and hate constantly battling within her when she thought of him, along with lust and anger and confusion and pity. So many warring emotions that left her weak and confused and unable to tell him that it was her, that Kate was still inside as she stared at him, arm out and ready to protect Manola, despite everything Santanico had put him through. 

Those brief moments had left Amaru with a taste for Richard Gecko and Kate despised her self for it, even if she sometimes despised him more. 

Part of her  _hated_ him for the role he'd played in her death. He could deny it all he wanted, but Richard desired power above all else and that ambition had led to her dying and although she knew he was sorry and knew that if she'd lived just a few minutes longer, he'd have ignored her wishes and turned her anyway, just so that he could keep her, she was still so angry at him. She was angry at him, but she also accepted how much he had tried to protect her that night – he hadn't wanted Malvado to see her soul and he'd demanded to turn her himself, so that the Lord wouldn't do it. Looking back, she realised that his attempts to kick her out of the car had been his way of showing her that he cared, that he wanted to protect her.

The part of her that recognised his attempts at protecting her that night was pretty sure she could fall in love with him and Amaru enjoyed mocking her endlessly for it.

She mocked their chaste kiss in the Twister; reminding Kate constantly that she'd walked in on Richie getting a lapdance minutes before and did she really think a man like Richard Gecko would be interested in a preacher's virgin daughter from Texas? She called Kate an idiot for the blind faith she'd had in him, as she'd stood with her back to the wall waiting for him to throw a knife at her. 

_Now this Richie, he's dangerous._

Amaru had known Kate would try and get through to Richie and she knew she would beg him to do what Seth and Scott hadn't been able to – she'd ask him to put her out of her misery and with all of Kate's memories, Amaru had believed that Richie might actually do it. He'd make the hard choice where Seth hadn't been able to; because while Kate knew Seth would feel bad for everything that had happened in Mexico, she wasn't as assured about Richie – if Richie thought taking down the queen of hell would improve his standing with the single remaining lord, he'd do it in a heartbeat – that was Kate's only consoling thought.

Amaru had been thrilled to see the hesitation on his face when he saw her and had gloated endlessly to a terrified Kate when Richie had allowed his gun to drop.

_Well, well. Looks like this Gecko has some confusing feelings about this little body as well. Isn't that interesting, Katie-cakes?_

He wouldn't kill Kate, and Amaru and Brasa had begun to figure out the best plan to use that to their advantage.

Kate had been powerless in the hospital; she'd tried every trick she could think of to break free to talk to him but Amaru kept her locked up tight; tighter than ever before. She'd watched with rage and pain as Amaru had sent Richie down the long, dangerous path to insanity and she'd never hated her so much. She'd listened to her mocking him with their interactions, perverting their time together into something that could be used to control him and she'd hated _herself'_ for giving Amaru the ammunition to do it, even as she was powerless to stop the images and memories from flashing across her brain.

If she'd never let her feelings for him slip, he might have been spared.

“Pick a direction and walk, Kate.” She told herself softly, her voice echoing eerily in the silence. Standing her and thinking of the past was not going to help her figure out what the fuck she was supposed to be doing now.

She took a step forward nervously, partly expecting _something_ to jump out at her. Her stride got more confident as she walked on, her eyes scanning the horizon constantly for anything strange and unusual.

She really had no idea what she was doing – her plan had been to step through the gate and allow it to close after her; she hadn't thought far enough in advance to what she would actually have to do as the queen of hell.

She walked for what seemed like hours; exhaustion settling into her bones as she finally came to a stop on the crest of a hill and surveyed that landscape around her.

“You're late.”

She whirled around at the sound of the familiar drawl, wishing she'd brought the sword with her when she came face to face with a bored looking Carlos Madrigal.

“Let me guess, Seth didn't want to let you go. You can never trust a Gecko to keep a plan on track.”

“What the hell-”

“Oh, funny. Hello, Kate. This is a new look for you.”

“So this is my hell, huh?” She asked, shaking her head and turning away from him. “Alone for eternity with the man who murdered me.”

“Well, I don't think that sounds too bad, personally. I'm a delight to spent time with.” Carlos was suddenly in front of her again, eyes amused as she jumped back. “Unfortunately, that is not in the cards for you, Miss Fuller. Time to fulfil your destiny.”

“Yeah, and what's that? Has it changed, since your plan to sacrifice me to your Lords to allow Santanico to escape?” She asked bitterly, turning her face away from him.

“Eyes find eyes, Kate.”

Her head whipped up at the familiar words but Carlos was gone. She turned in a full circle, eyes casting about wildly until they came to rest on a dark shape in the distance. It was moving slowly towards her and she closed her eyes to calm her rapidly beating heart as he became clearer.

“Richie...” She murmured, her eyes widening as she realised she had trapped him in hell. “Oh my God, Richie.”

He was dressed in a suit, naturally, with red accents and he wore his glasses. His hair was dishevelled but he was still the same, beautiful man she'd felt drawn to as he stood watching her at the edge of a dirty pool in a dingy motel.

He came to a stop a few feet away from her, his eyes wide and searching as he looked her over. She didn't know what he decided but his eyes went cold and he took a menacing step towards her. She stayed where she was, eyes blinking back tears as she took in the sight of him.

“Take off her face.”

“What?”

“I get it. I'm stuck in hell – that's fine. But you don't get to taunt me with _her._ Take off her face or I'll do it for you.”

“Richie... it's me.”

“That won't work. There is no fucking reason Kate Fuller would be in hell. Amaru killed her and if there's a hell, there's a heaven. That's where Kate is so take. It. Off.”

“After everything you saw in my soul, you really think I'd get into heaven?” She asked bitterly, hand reaching up to wipe away tears. “I've killed people, Richie. God doesn't forgive that easily.”

“Stop talking as if you're her.” He yelled suddenly and this time she did flinch. He was staring at her with desperation, and she could see tears in his own eyes as he looked her over, looking defeated suddenly. “Stop it – just, stop it. Please.”

“Goddamn it Richard, it's really me.” She snapped at him. “I... the only way to close the gate was to give them Amaru. She's still part of me so I figured if I went through, it would satisfy Xibalba and the gate would close behind me. I had no idea you'd be stuck here – no, that's a lie. She told me, us, you were here but I didn't believe her. Oh God, I'm so sorry, Richie. I think I've trapped you here.”

Suddenly it was all too much and she dropped to the ground, curling her arms around her knees as she sobbed, everything catching up with her – fighting the demons and Amaru, arguing with Seth. She could see Scott's face as she stepped over the threshold of hell and she sobbed harder; all she had wanted was to get her little brother back; to let him know that she still loved him, despite his new found need for blood, and this was the result. If she hadn't been so naïve, if she hadn't trusted Scott when he told her to trust Carlos...

“Kate?”

Richie's voice was soft suddenly, and he leant down to face her. His hand hovered at the side of her face, before he came to a decision and pushed her messy hair out of her face and she stared up at him.

“It's really you?”

She nodded, allowing him to pull her up so that they were facing each other.

“Seth?”

“On the other side.” She assured him, not mentioning the fact that he was also likely dead by now. There was no point unsettling him unnecessarily. “How did you-”

“Sex Machine.” Richie snorted. “I knew I should have killed that fucker the first time I saw him after the Twister.”

Kate smiled weakly, nodding in agreement.

“I can't believe you're here. You shouldn't be here, Kate.”

“Where should I be?” She asked, her mouth curving up slightly. The Geckos were so much more alike than they'd ever admit.

“I don't know. At home, in Bethel. Living a normal life with a normal boyfriend. Going to school and dances and – fuck, I don't know. Anywhere but here, Kate. You should be anywhere but here.”

“So should you.”

“Me? No, fuck that. I deserve this. I deserve to burn in hell for everything I've put you through.”

She knew he didn't mean for the words to hurt her but they did; like a knife twisting in her stomach and she was shaking her head and stepping towards him before she knew what she was doing.

“No, Richie. No – I said that because I was hurt and angry and bitter about the way everything had turned out but I stopped believing that the second I woke up again. You don't deserve this. Look at what you and Seth have done this year – you've pulled everyone together and you've been fighting against the end of the world. You're a hero, Richie. You and Seth both. Maybe you're a little rougher around the edges than people expect, a little bit more twisted than the average cliché hero but you're a hero none the less. I know you've been fighting for me, you can't possibly think I still believe that.”

They stared at each other in silence for a few seconds and although she couldn't tell you who moved first, she was suddenly lifted in the air. She wrapped her legs around his slim hips, allowing him to lick across the seam of her lips as his hands settled; one low on her back and the other wrapped around her thigh to hold her in place against him.

Richie kissed her deeply and unhurriedly; as if they weren't standing in the baron wasteland of Xibalba. It wasn't like their first kiss – that had been soft and innocent and this was anything but. He nibbled across her bottom lip and she opened her mouth on a soft gasp, a whimper catching in the back of her throat when he licked inside her mouth. His grip on her thigh tightened as he hitched her higher, and she realised that the kisses she'd shared with Kyle at the back of her daddy's church, which she had thought were passionate and sinful at the time, weren't even in the same category as the way Richie was kissing her now.

She ran her hands through his hair, before gripping his neck tightly and experimentally tugging his bottom lip between her teeth. The low sound he made in the back of his throat made her stomach clench with arousal and she had to pull her head back for air. Richie allowed her to move, pressing hot open mouthed kisses to the exposed skin of her throat.

“Well, isn't this touching.”

Kate shrieked slightly, slipping out of Richie's embrace as she spun to face the man standing behind them.

Carlos looked bored as he stared at the two of them, looking from one to the other.

“Carlito. What the fuck do you want now?” Richie moved suddenly, putting himself between Carlos and Kate.

“Someone has to make sure the two of you aren't too busy screwing each other to fulfil your destiny.” Carlos drawled. Kate rolled her eyes, stepping up so that she stood beside Richie but allowing him to keep his arm across her body.

“Enough with the cryptic shit, Carlos. Tell us what you're talking about. What destiny?”

“You have to close the gate.”

“It didn't close after me?” She breathed out in horror. She felt Richie's hand come to rest on her back, large and reassuring. “Are you sure?”

“Of course I am. This is not how Kate Fuller and Richard Gecko die; you have to go back and you have to destroy her. It has to be you, Kate. Diosa has wounded her for now, but you have to finish it. You _deserve_ to finish it, Kate.”

“I don't deserve to finish anything. The people whose souls she-”

And suddenly she knew exactly what she needed to do; exactly how to finish Amaru.

The knowing smirk on Carlos' face told her that what she was thinking was right. It couldn't possibly be that simple. After everything that they had gone through, it couldn't be that easy.

Could it?”

“It has to be you, Kate. She's part of you and you're part of her.”

“Inseparable.” She muttered. “So I free the souls....”

“And they consume her and drag her back to hell.” Richie finished her sentence, his eyes closing in relief as he finally caught on to Carlos' plan. “But how the hell do we get you back out there?”

“Us.” She told him sharply. “How the hell do we get _us_ back out there?”

“Kate-”

“Don't Kate me, Richard. You're coming with me and that's final. We just need to go back the way I came, find the entrance again.”

“You mean, that entrance?” Carlos motioned behind them and as Kate turned, she realised they were no longer standing where they had been.

“This place is fucking creepy, man.” Richie muttered, his hand tightening on her back slightly. He turned her to face him, ignoring Carlos as he tucked her hair behind her ears. “One more for the road?”

She giggled softly, allowing him to tug her against his body as he reached down and kissed her softly, once then again and again.

“When we get out there, back I mean, will you stay?” Richie asked quietly between kisses. “Stay with me and Seth? Scott can stay too, I guess.”

Kate kissed him, her eyes closing against the hope in his face.

“I need some time on my own Richie. I need to come to terms with what she did to me and I need to do it in my own time. But I'll visit; at least until I'm ready to come home for good.”

He smiled at the mention of home, nodding his understanding.

“You know, you and Seth are more alike than you think.” She told him teasingly. “He told me I should be at prom, dancing with some Jesus freak.”

Richie chuckled, dropping his head to lean against hers. “No more Jesus freaks for you, Katie. But I'm yours, if you'll have me.”

“Not to interrupt this hallmark moment, bro, but the end of the world is happening right through that door and if you two love birds don't hurry the fuck up, our plan won't work.”

Kate rolled her eyes but stepped away from Richie, turning to look at Carlos.

“Aren't you coming?” She asked, as she slid her hand into Richie's. Carlos shook his head.

“My role here is not done yet. To them, it will be like no time has passed. Good luck.”

He was gone suddenly, and Kate found herself squeezing Richie's hand, wanting to make sure he was still with her. He returned the gesture, slowly tugging her behind him towards the gate.

“Time to go home.” He muttered, smiling back at her softly. She nodded, her own mouth curving up in response.

“Let's go save the world.”

_I take you all to hell with me_

“No you won't.”

The cavern was dark when they stepped out of the gate. Richie had dropped her hand as they crossed the threshold, stepping away from her and towards Seth. She saw them out of the corner of her eyes, gentle touches reassuring each other that they were alive and safe, before both of them turned towards her.

“They're going to take you.”

It was disgusting; the way her skin split beneath Kate's hands as she ripped through flesh and muscle, releasing the imprisoned souls beneath. She had never thought she would be capable of something like this – tearing into flesh and watching as blood splattered against her and not feel anything but relief as she heard the soft, murmuring voices of all the people Amaru had consumed, getting louder as they made their presence known.

She stepped back, taking her place between Richie and Scott and watched as dozens of hands pushed through the gaping wound, before Amaru flew back towards the gate, shrieking in agony and leaving nothing but the ornate necklace behind, lying innocently on the sandy ground before the gate.

She bent down before it, suddenly nervous about what would happen next. Now she was free but it had been so long since she'd felt that way, she wasn't sure how she should be acting. How did she turn and face her brother? Richie and Seth? Maybe Richie was right and she hadn't belonged in hell, but that didn't mean she was innocent either. The blood spilled by Amaru felt like it was always going to be on her hands, she thought as she lifted the amulet carefully, one hand rising to where it had lay against her throat, heavy and painful.

She felt someone approach her from behind, and knew it was Santanico by the light grip on her arm.

“She's not part of you anymore.”

And just like earlier, Santanico's words managed to penetrate the fog of guilt in her head and she realised she was right.

Amaru was dead but Kate Fuller wasn't.

She would never be that innocent, preacher's daughter again but maybe she didn't have to be. She had the time, and the willpower, to go out and find herself and she knew, _knew_ , that the people behind her would help in any way the could. They were bank robbers and murderers, the monsters parents told their children about to keep them in line. They would lie and steal and kill in an instant but they were her family. _Hers._

So with a breath of relief, Kate Fuller tossed Amaru's amulet through the gates of hell and then, as had become typical in her life, ran from the impending fire.

 

**Author's Note:**

> So this is my attempt at figuring out what happened between Kate and Richie in Xibalba. Obviously they met up and made their way back out together but since we weren't given anything else to go on, I made it up :)
> 
> As always, I don't own the characters from FDTD and this was written in the space of a few hours so it is probably very rough. I may come back and edit it once I've finished with Monsters but if there are any mistakes etc, please let me know so I can fix them. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy and please let me know what you think!


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